Case Study
New Mexico
Brighter light and lower bills at Mosaic Potash Company
Carlsbad mining facility upgrades to LEDs for big savings
“This one project exceeded our
10 percent savings goal but we
never sit back and say we’re done.
We continue to look for more ways
to save.”
Scott Goodale,
Engineering Lead, Mosaic Potash
Carlsbad
Major upgrade well worth the effort
Changing out thousands of bulbs and dozens of lighting fixtures in office spaces and
multiple warehouses both above and below ground is no small task. Combine that with a
harsh mining environment and around the clock operation and it makes it even harder.
But when there’s extra incentive —in the form of rebates and continued savings—
there’s more motivation to get it done.
At Mosaic’s Carlsbad Potash facility, they were ready for a lighting upgrade. The facility
operates one of the largest underground potash mines in the United States, mining
potassium mineral langbeinite. They’ve been an Xcel Energy customer since 1939.
After hearing about Xcel Energy’s rebate programs, Mosaic was ready to convert the
facility’s metal halide and fluorescent lighting fixtures to LEDs because they knew they
could save energy and money. Mosaic then partnered with Xcel Energy to determine the
best course.
“We have corporate sustainability goals to reduce our energy use more than 10 percent
by 2020,” explains Scott Goodale, Engineering Lead. “Each of our sites has its own goals
and we’re constantly looking for more ways to save.”
“From the beginning, Mosaic was engaged and jumped right in to take advantage of
our energy efficiency rebates,” says Account Manager James Lackey. “It makes good
business sense and it’s also a competitive advantage for them. Aligning our state
regulated energy efficiency goals with Mosaic’s sustainability goals has created a
mutually beneficial partnership.”
The many benefits of new fixtures
After determining which fixtures would work the best and be the most cost effective,
Goodale purchased a total of 513 high-efficiency LED fixtures and more than 3,300 bulbs.
Additionally, occupancy sensors were added to achieve even more savings.
The rebate total of almost $212,000
was a deciding factor, but so
were reduced energy and
maintenance costs.
Brighter light and lower bills at Mosaic Potash Carlsbad
Case Study
Business Solutions Center 855.839.8862
New Mexico
The rebate total of almost $212,000 was a deciding factor, but so were reduced energy
and maintenance costs.
“We’re never closed, so our lights run 24/7,” Goodale says. “We were replacing bulbs
weekly and spending approximately $55,000 per year on bulb replacements. Since we
installed these fixtures nine months ago, we’ve only had 3 premature failures.”
Mosaic is now saving a whopping 3.06 gigawatt-hours per year. According to the EPA’s
Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator, that’s enough to power 225 homes for a year.
“This one project exceeded our 10 percent savings goal but we never sit back and say
we’re done. We continue to look for more ways to save,” Goodale says.
The project also involved replacing indoor lighting. Goodale says they were able to
decrease the number of bulbs while producing the same level of light.
“As a bonus, we’ve had a lot of positive comments from employees about the improved
lighting,” says Goodale.
Next steps
Goodale says the next energy efficiency work they’ll tackle is a series of process related
efficiency upgrades. Mosaic will continue to work with Xcel Energy to determine ways to
lower their energy costs and improve their return on investments.
For more information about Xcel Energy’s lighting and other rebate programs, please
visit xcelenergy.com/Business or call 855.839.8862.
Project Snapshot
Project
Replace 513 lighting fixtures with high-efficiency LED fixtures
and more than 3,300 bulbs
Project cost
$420,996
Total annual energy
savings
3.06 gigawatt-hours equating to $158,867 per year.
That’s enough electricity to power 225 homes for a year.
Rebate amount
$211,760
Payback term
1.3 years
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